Power transmitting device



intenta!r Mu. 1s, 1937 UNITED, STATES PATENT Nol-"NI-llCE N "2,074,170"v s Powna TRANSMITTING DEVICE l william fr; Duim, netrnieiuicn.,assigner to' Chrysler Corporation, Highland Park, Mich.. a s'corporationof Delaware"` s i original application May 14, 19a4, serialNo. 225,522.` `Divided and this application Marchriigiaziaseriai1v.11,0513, l i

` aclantis; 01; iso-s4) This invention relates to power transmittingdevices l and refers more particularly to fluid `couplings, clutches,drives and thelike; It is an object of my invention to provide an imgproved iluid coupling capable ofmanufacture at relatively' low cost andlight weight without sacrificing thedesired requisite strength andresistance ,in objectionable distortion.` I

This application is a division` of my cio-pending application Serial1510.725572, ledMay 14,1934. s

A further object of :niy'invention is to provide 'improved lmeans,particularly from standpoints "of low "cost and ease of manufacturaforattaching theimpeller member ofthe fluid coupling to V13 the power'driving means. my inventionmaking it possible toiargely form the partsof the drive s from i stampings. Where the impeller isA attached to theflywheel of an internal combustion engine, such arrangementbeing1customary where the fluid coupling is used to-transmit `the powerto motorvehicles, I have provided improved means formounting the engineflywheel starting gear `.ring in -`the assembly which includestheengine" s flywheel andthe impeller. s

Further objects and advantages rof my invenl tion will be apparentfromthe followlngdetailed illustrative embodiment i. of the principles of myinvention, reference being had .to the accompanyingldrawng, in which: lt

through my improved coupling., by" t, y

Fig. 2 is anelevational view, partly in section,

" I Figui a sectionalelevational view. axially `showing atypical portionof the runner, the view l being taken alongthe line 2-2 of Fig. 1.,r

" In the drawing, reference" character A represents the impeller of thefluid coupling and B 'cisignates'the runner, the coupling being shownfor illustrativepurposes transmitting the `drive from anengineycrankshaft Ill `and flywheel II `iii) carried thereby to a drivenshaft i2`which may Y l be connectedto the driving wheels (not shown)` of`a motor vehicle in the well-known manner. My

A coupling may, of course, be employed tol provide a drivingconnectionbetweenthe parts of various A machines or devices" and vis notlimited in its `usefulapplication to motor vehicle drives. Y

The impeller or rotor A" has a stamped sheet metal vane carrying outercover plate I3 dished as illustrated in Fig. 1 and extending aroundtheaxis of the fluid coupling assembly as provided by the aligned axes ofcrankshaft III and driven j :shaft I2. As will bemore presentlyapparent, theouter cover plate'l cooperates `with `the iiylwheel II tohouse the impeller and runner structures together with the fluid mediumcirculated s tening devices indicated at I9. i;

`devices not illustrated herein but of well-known construction. It willbe apparent thatlthe starter ring gear I'I is separately formed `fromthe iiyvl5 y wheel II, such construction` permitting the iiywheel to beformed of a stamping from relatively `low-cost material `lending itselfreadily 4to the stamping operation, the starter ring gear I'l beingformed of a harder, higher-grade steel. The 20` starterring gear, outercover plate I3 and ilywheelnl I are rigidlysecured together as a unitaryconstruction by a circumferentialvseries 4of. fas- 4The cover plate I3extends inwardly to provide A25 an annular web `portion 2li andthenrearwardly to form the hub portion 22 having an opening 23 for receivingshaft I2.Suitablysecured to web 20 as by fasteners 24` is a carrierfring25 receiving. the ball bearing'assembly 26, thelatter 30 being supportedby ahub 21 drivingly connected by splines orteeth 28 to shafty I2. v Afluid. seal 23 closes the forward opening of hub 21'; to preventpassageand escapeof the fluid medium from-the coupling rearwardly along theshaft I2. 35 A further 'fiuidsealing assembly 30 surrounds the shaft `I2in contactwiththe hub portion 22 to prevent, .escape of the1 `fluidmedium `through the opening 23. IThe seal 29 may bedispensed with,

if desired, since in Fig. 1 the seal 30 engagesthe 40 shaftilZ. s M lFrom the foregoing it will be apparent that the impeller A is drivinglyconnected to ywheel II and is supported and centered on driven shaft I2but rotatable independently thereof. The run- 45 i filled or `partiallyfilled with the iluid medium which may be oil, water, or other suitableuid.

Before describing thegenerally similar details 50 of the vane structurefor the impeller and runner, it will be noted that the runner B has anoppositely dished cover plate 3l formed of a `sheet metal stamping andadapted to carry the vanes of the runner as will be presently apparent.55

This outer cover plate is suitably secured as by welding at 32, 33 tothe annular flange 34 of the stamped disc 35, the latter having aforwardly bent flanged hub 36 suitably secured as by welding at 31, 38to the aforesaid hub 21.

The impeller A is provided with the stamped sheet metal inner coverplate 39 spaced within the outer cover plate I3 and correspondinglydished, this inner cover plate extending ringlike about the axis ofshaft I2, the inner cover plate being substantially semi-circular incross section. The runner B is also provided with a similar inner coverplate 40 spaced within the outer cover plate 3l. these inner coverplates 39 and 4D together forming a core guide ring and providing avortex chamber 4I for the fluid which circulates between the impellcrand runner around the vortex chamber as will be presently more apparent..V

The rotors A and B may have vane forming structures of generally similarconstruction, the typical structure being best illustrated in Fig. 2 inconnection with the runner B. Intermediate the inner and outer covermembers 40 and 3l, respectively, are located a series ofcircumferentially spaced stamped sheet metal vane forming members Cwhich extend substantially radially from the low pressure chamber orzone 42 to the high pressure chamber or zone 43, these chambers beingprovided by circumferential clearance spaces between the oppositelyfacing portions of the impeller A and runner B.

The members C have radially extending vane portions 44 integrally formedwith circumferentially extending outer and inner web or flange portions45 and 46 respectively. Each web portion 45 is shaped to conform withvthe (lished outer cover plate 3|, the webs engaging vthe inner surfaceof this outer cover plate and being secured thereto by welding. Insimilar manner the inner webs 46 engage the inner cover plate 40 andarelikewise secured thereto by welding. The welding may be in the formof a continuous weld radially along the abutting portions of the websand cover plates or the welding maybe at intermittent points as will bereadily understood. The circumferential spacingof the vane formingmembers C provide circumferentially spaced fluid-conducting passages D,these passages being open and communicating at their inner ends with thechamber 42 and at their outer ends communicating with the chamber 43.

The impeller A is likewise formed with the vane formingcircumferentially spaced members C providing a series of similar fluidconducting passages likewise communicating with the chamthe drivingflywheel to cause the fluid to circulate under the action of centrifugalforcel from space 42 outwardly through the impeller vane passages fordischarge at the space 43 where the fluid enters the runner vanepassages for discharge at the space 42. The runner is thus driven fromthe impeller and the slip between the parts rapidly diminishes as thespeed of the impeller increases. It will be observed that the fluidspace between the flywheel II and outer cover plate I3 and particularlythe disclosure defined further by the disc 35 and hubs 2l and 25 aresubstantially free from projections, screws, bolts, etc., which producenoises and friction losses as the fluid is rapidly circulated within thecoupling. Furthermore. it will be noted that the bounding faces of thefluid passages Dwill likewise provide for smooth flow of the fluid withresulting relatively high efficiency of power transmission; especiallyin providing for free slippage of the coupling at low speed.

Various modifications and changes will be readily apparent from theteachings of my invention, as set forth in the appended claims, and itis not my intention to limit my invention to the particular details ofconstruction and operation shown and described for illustrativepurposes.

What I claim is: L

1. In a `fluid coupling for driving and driven members, a flywheelstructure drivingly secured 'to said driving member and having the majorportion thereof disposed substantially in a plane generallyperpendicular thereto, a casing structure, an impeller rotor driven withsaid casing structure, a runner rotor xed to said driven member, saidstructures substantially enclosing said rotors, said casing structurehaving a flanged end, a portion of said flange abutting a side face ofsaid flywheel structure, said flange having a terminal portion overlyingthe peripheral face of said flywheel, a ring gear adjacent said flangedend, and a common means for connecting together said flywheel, flangedend and ring gear.

2. In a fluid coupling for driving and driven shafts Aincluding drivingand driven members operatively associated with said shafts; a housingfor said members including a flywheel secured to said driving shaft anda casing adapted to be secured to said flywheel. said casing having aplurality of adjacent flanged portions including an annular flange, aradial flange extending outwardly from said annular flange and abuttinga side face of said flywheel, and an arinular flanged end contacting theouter peripheral face of said flywheel; a ring gear having its innerperipheral face contacting said annular flange and a side facecontacting said radial flange; and common means for securing togethersaid flywheel, ring gear and casing;

WILLIAM T. DUNN.

